Local favorite Gene Sauers gets bumped up into Legends Division field

Savannah’s Gene Sauers eyes his tee shot on the 13th hole during the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf Pro-Am on Wednesday at The Club at Savannah Harbor.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning NewsGene Sauers hits his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf Pro-Am Wednesday at the Club at Savannah Harbor.

Gene Sauers signs autographs before his tee time Wednesday.

Russ Cochran’s loss is Gene Sauers’ gain, and likely an attendance boost for the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf.

SLIDESHOW:

2013 Legends of Golf

Savannah’s Sauers was on the outside looking from home when tournament week started at The Club at Savannah Harbor. He was the first alternate, then got into the two-round Raphael Division when Eduardo Romero withdrew Tuesday.

Sauers partnering with Ian Baker-Finch for the 36-hole event Friday and Saturday didn’t last a day. On Wednesday, Sauers got bumped up to the three-round Legends Division, an official Champions Tour money and points event, and he has Cochran to thank.

Cochran missed his 9 a.m. pro-am tee time Wednesday, an automatic disqualification. Apparently, Cochran was unaware of the tee time and learned too late to make the time.

So, Sauers will partner with Kenny Perry, and Jim Rutledge moves up from second alternate to partner with Baker-Finch in the Raphael.

“It’s a sorry way to get in,” Sauers said Wednesday. “Russ is a great friend. He missed his tee time. What can you say? That’s the rules. This whole week, everything’s been up in the air. A lot of stuff has been going on this week.”

Instead of watching from home and wondering what if, Sauers is preparing for 54 holes of a Champions Tour event in his hometown — and answering his phone from uncounted friends, relatives and well-wishers.

“I charged it last night. It’s almost dead now,” Sauers said. “I’m just glad to be here. Being from Savannah, and being able to support my local communities and all that good stuff, I’m just ready to play.”

Sauers needs to play to improve his position on the tour money list, which gets him into more tournaments. Having turned 50 last August, Sauers played a partial 2012 schedule and finished 72nd on the money list ($148,072).

He played in just two of the first five tournaments in 2013 — tying for third at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic on March 22-24, but basically needed a win for a smooth entry into the Legends field as a top-10 money lister. Instead, he was assigned alternate status.

Sauers tied for 17th on Sunday at the Greater Gwinnett Championship and is 21st on the money list ($149,612). One spot ahead of him is Perry ($153,200), and together they can go for the $460,000 first prize.

“Kenny Perry is a great friend of mine also, and he can make a lot of birdies and I can make a lot of birdies. We’ve got a good chance,” said Sauers, who has played a few rounds with Perry at past tournaments but has never been a teammate.

“I need to sit down and talk to Kenny and see what our game plan is,” Sauers said. “He’s a great guy. He’s calm. He’s collected. He’s a great player. I couldn’t be pleased more to play with him.”

Sauers’ caddie this year, Timothy Thalmueller, said the course is a good fit for Sauers and Perry, a long hitter who can attack the par-5 holes for birdies — the name of the game at this tournament.

“This will be good for (Sauers),” Thalmueller said. “He drives it straight and reasonably long. He hits a lot of greens.”